Mesozoic
Sign in to saveThe Mesozoic Era is an era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian reptiles such as the dinosaurs, and of gymnosperms such as cycads, ginkgoaceae and araucarian conifers; a hot greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Pangaea. The Mesozoic is the middle of the three eras since complex life evolved: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic.
AI overview
The Mesozoic Era is a major division of Earth's history that includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods and is famous as the age of dinosaurs and other large reptiles, along with specific plant types, a hot climate, and the breaking apart of the supercontinent Pangaea. It matters because it represents the middle chapter of complex life on Earth, falling between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic Eras, and shows how dramatically our planet's life forms and geography have changed over deep time.
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Key facts
- Geologic timespan.name
- Mesozoic Era
- Geologic timespan.color
- Mesozoic
- Geologic timespan.top_bar
- Phanerozoic
- Geologic timespan.time_start
- 251.902
- Geologic timespan.time_start_uncertainty
- 0.024
- Geologic timespan.time_end
- 66.0
- Geologic timespan.timeline
- Mesozoic
- Geologic timespan.name_formality
- Formal
- Geologic timespan.nicknames
- Age of Reptiles, Age of Dinosaurs, Age of Conifers
- Geologic timespan.celestial_body
- earth
- Geologic timespan.usage
- Global (ICS)
- Geologic timespan.timescales_used
- ICS Time Scale
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Naming
- Geologic periods
- Triassic
- Jurassic
- Cretaceous
- Paleogeography and tectonics
- Climate
- Life
- Flora
- Fauna
- Microbiota
- See also
- References
- External links
The Mesozoic Era is an era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian reptiles such as the dinosaurs, and of gymnosperms such as cycads, ginkgoaceae and araucarian conifers; a hot greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Pangaea. The Mesozoic is the middle of the three eras since complex life evolved: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic.
The Mesozoic is commonly known as the Age of the Dinosaurs because the terrestrial animals that dominated both hemispheres for the majority of it were Dinosaurs. This era began in the wake of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest mass extinction in Earth's history, and ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, another mass extinction whose victims included the non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs. The Mesozoic was a time of significant tectonic, climatic, and evolutionary activity. The supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart into separate landmasses. The climate of the Mesozoic was varied, alternating between warming and cooling periods. Overall, however, the Earth was hotter than it is today.